


He'll Believe Me

by nicolai



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bruises, Child Abuse, Childhood, Corporal Punishment, Crying, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fights, Hurt No Comfort, Non-Consensual Spanking, Other, Physical Abuse, sibling fighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-26
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-23 10:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6113320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nicolai/pseuds/nicolai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Azula decides to lie about Zuko to get him in trouble, Zuko tries and fails to stop her, then Ozai punishes him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He'll Believe Me

**Author's Note:**

> tw: child abuse, physical abuse, food deprivation, overworking, emotional abuse, favoritism

“I’m going to tell Father that you aren’t practicing,” Azula taunted, grinning sadistically at her brother. 

“What?!” Zuko paused mid-form, turning to look at her in horror, “That’s a lie though!”

“Oh, I know, but he’ll believe me,” she giggled, grinning at him, before turning to walk inside the house. 

“Don’t do that!” Zuko shouted, scrambling after her, “Please, Azula!” his voice was urgent and eyes wide with fear. 

“Don’t be pathetic, brother,” Azula laughed dismissively, “We don’t beg in this family.”

Lunging forward to stand in front of her, Zuko squared up to her, “No! You can’t! I won’t let you!” He moved his hands into a fighting position. 

“Zuzu, you can’t fight me…” Azula chuckled derisively, “I’m so much better than you. I’m stronger, I’m faster, and I’m better at firebending. You can’t possibly win.”

“Don’t call me that!” Zuko glared at his younger sister before aiming a fire ball directly at her. 

Azula jumped easily out of the way, sending a blazing stream back towards him, “Fine, I’ll humiliate you with beating you in this fight and then I’ll humiliate you by getting father to actually beat you,” she laughed. 

Zuko attempted to dodge, but got his sleeve singed anyway, “No! Why are you always like this?!” he shouted, emitting a wave of fire from his palms, but finding it difficult to aim or control. 

“Sloppy, Zuzu,” Azula smirked, jumping in to fight more hand to hand, “Like always.”

He was too busy dodging and deflecting flying fists and feet to respond and she quickly forced him back. Focusing only on avoiding fire blasts and strikes, Zuko stumbled backwards over a tree root in the courtyard, falling down and curling up. 

“Too easy, Zuzu. Now, I’m telling Father!” Azula crowed triumphantly, skipping inside to do just that. 

A few stray tears slipped from Zuko’s eyes. He didn’t understand why his little sister could be so mean. He didn’t know why she acted like she hated him this much. He didn’t know why she wanted their father to punish him for something he hadn’t even done. Fortunately, his tears had dried by the time Ozai came out with Azula bouncing happily in tow. 

“You don’t want to practice?” Ozai asked, glaring down at his son, “Do you want to be a worthless disappointment forever?”

Zuko knew it was useless to argue, he would never be believed over Azula, and he shook his head, keeping his eyes on the ground. He squeezed them shut when Ozai reached down and lifted him by the front of his shirt, holding him up to eye level at arms length. 

“Look at me,” his father’s voice was cooly demanding and left no room for protest. 

Zuko obeyed, opening his eyes and focusing on the man’s face. The hold felt particularly unsteady and he reached up to grasp onto his father’s hands with his own for better purchase. 

“I’m very disappointed in you, boy,” Ozai spat, his hand coming up and swiftly smacking his son across the face; Azula’s eyes widened at the resounding slap and the bright red mark it left. 

Zuko kept his mouth clamped shut to stifle the whine that died in his throat and tears sprang to his eyes. Ozai flung him back down to the ground, letting go of his shirt and pushing him away. The young prince landed in a heap, curling up. 

“Worthless excuse for a child,” Ozai grumbled, kicking Zuko’s lower back to get him to topple forward, then grabbing the back of his neck and forcing him up to his feet, then bending him roughly at the waist. 

“I’m sorry!” Zuko squeaked, trying to get his knees to stop shaking; it didn’t do to show weakness in front of his father. 

Ozai jerked his pants down with one hand, keeping the same tight hold on him, then began to spank him. Zuko held as still as possible for the blows, knowing that fighting would only make it worse, but he could help flinching and twisting away once his bottom was beginning to bruise. Ozai continue smacking him, hand steadily raining down hits to his sore behind, harder now that he’d tried to move. When he failed to hold still a second time, Ozai leaned down, looping his arm about Zuko’s hips and lifting him to hold him against his side. 

Azula was watching with interest from a bit behind Ozai, chuckling at how helpless her big brother looked held that way, he was practically a rag doll. 

“Struggle all you want, Zuko, I’ll stop after you do,” Ozai sneered, resuming his vicious assault, ignoring all the mottled colors his son’s skin was turning. 

Zuko tried and failed, over and over, to hold still, but was soon sobbing brokenly and hanging over his father’s arm. After a few minutes of getting little response to his punishment, Ozai sat Zuko down on the ground and pulled his pants up. 

“Now, you’re to practice until midnight, Zuko, then someone will come get you to go to bed. No dinner, no relaxation, you’ve wasted enough of the day. Do you understand?” Ozai stepped back, putting his hand on Azula’s shoulder. 

Rubbing his fists into his eyes to stem the tears, Zuko nodded, struggling to stand. 

“Good. I’ll check your progress tomorrow,” Ozai nodded turning to lead Azula inside with him, “I’m very proud of you, Azula. Always tell me when your brother’s out of line,” he rewarded her with a gentle smile, “He needs much more help than you do to not disappoint me.”


End file.
